I was pissed earlier tonight with the coverage of the events in Boston. I told the wife I needed to turn the TV off and go see a movie. We went to 42. I would recommend this movie. It goes to the fundamental power of this country. It's collective people. The courage of the two stars of this movie, had one common connection.......they were Methodist, and one certainly took his faith seriously. This is a good and fair nation. I was always an Eddie Stanky fan.....loved the man......he was the manager of my beloved White Sox......he was this scrappy little guy who never backed down......and when my hero unbeknown to me crossed the field to confront the Philly manager a tear came to my eye.....it was an uncontrolled reaction to see the courage of one scrappy little guy not taking crap, or allowing a teammate to take crap. Then when Pee Wee put his arm around Jackie when he was in Cincinnati and his family from KY was watching the game.
But the most powerful scene for me was the one which showed the child with his father or grandfather at the Cincinnati game, as they have this normal conversation about Pee Wee, and he is enjoying the game and then Jackie comes to bat and all around him hate spews out, and he is at first bewildered.....then he simply joins in ....he learns........and then Pee Wee puts his arm around Jackie......the look in that child's eyes for me was looking in the mirror as I sat in a Baptist Church in North Birmingham after the bombing of those four little girls.....it is that moment that a child questions their world.....is uncertain.....does not understand.....this movie was very powerful for me.......from seeing the advertisement on the field in Birmingham which showed the American Cast Iron Pipe Company.....ACIPCO the place where my mother was born four blocks from the plant, and where as a child I had to deal with four bathrooms.......
This movie is a national treasure.....I hope young people watch it, and we understand that this great nation has been divinely inspired......and that courage sometimes requires going against the grain.......all day watching a sheep like reaction of Americans........only to see our core values.....and courage in a movie.......I pray that we can return to courage.
But the most powerful scene for me was the one which showed the child with his father or grandfather at the Cincinnati game, as they have this normal conversation about Pee Wee, and he is enjoying the game and then Jackie comes to bat and all around him hate spews out, and he is at first bewildered.....then he simply joins in ....he learns........and then Pee Wee puts his arm around Jackie......the look in that child's eyes for me was looking in the mirror as I sat in a Baptist Church in North Birmingham after the bombing of those four little girls.....it is that moment that a child questions their world.....is uncertain.....does not understand.....this movie was very powerful for me.......from seeing the advertisement on the field in Birmingham which showed the American Cast Iron Pipe Company.....ACIPCO the place where my mother was born four blocks from the plant, and where as a child I had to deal with four bathrooms.......
This movie is a national treasure.....I hope young people watch it, and we understand that this great nation has been divinely inspired......and that courage sometimes requires going against the grain.......all day watching a sheep like reaction of Americans........only to see our core values.....and courage in a movie.......I pray that we can return to courage.